Making Friends
Use these authentic phrases to break the ice, find shared interests, and naturally suggest hanging out with a new acquaintance.
Key Phrases
Sei di queste parti o ti sei trasferito da poco?
neutralAre you from around here or did you move recently?
A highly common and natural way to start a conversation with a new colleague or classmate.
Da quanto tempo vivi in questa città?
politeHow long have you lived in this city?
A slightly softer, more polite approach to asking about someone's background.
Cosa ti piace fare nel tempo libero?
neutralWhat do you like to do in your free time?
Che fai di bello quando non lavori?
casualWhat do you get up to when you're not working?
The addition of 'di bello' (literally 'of beautiful') is an extremely common conversational filler in Italian.
Cosa fai di solito nel weekend?
casualWhat do you usually do on the weekend?
Hai già programmi per questo fine settimana?
neutralDo you already have plans for this weekend?
Anche a me piace molto cucinare.
neutralI also really like cooking.
Use 'Anche a me piace molto...' plus an infinitive verb to connect over a shared hobby.
Davvero? Anch'io vado spesso a correre!
casualReally? I go running often too!
Reacting with 'Davvero?' shows active listening and enthusiasm.
Mi farebbe piacere continuare a chiacchierare davanti a un caffè.
politeI'd love to continue chatting over a coffee.
A smooth, low-pressure way to invite someone out while showing genuine interest in what they have to say.
Perché non andiamo a bere qualcosa insieme dopo il lavoro?
neutralWhy don't we go get a drink together after work?
Ci andiamo a prendere una birra una di queste sere?
casualShall we go grab a beer one of these evenings?
'Ci andiamo a prendere' is very colloquial and natural.
Se ti va, ci scambiamo i numeri o i contatti social.
neutralIf you'd like, we can exchange numbers or social media contacts.
Ci scambiamo i numeri o ci aggiungiamo su Instagram?
casualShall we exchange numbers or add each other on Instagram?
The most common way younger adults and peers swap contacts today.
Ti scrivo io, così ci mettiamo d'accordo per vederci.
casualI'll text you, so we can agree on when to meet.
'Mettersi d'accordo' is the go-to phrase for making arrangements.
È stato davvero un piacere conoscerti.
politeIt was really a pleasure meeting you.
Dai, ci sentiamo in questi giorni per organizzarci.
casualCome on, we'll talk in the next few days to organize ourselves.
'Dai' acts as a friendly discourse marker here to wrap up the conversation warmly.